How to Use MONTHNAME Function in MySQL: Syntax and Examples

In MySQL, use the MONTHNAME(date) function to get the full name of the month from a date or datetime value. It returns the month as a string like 'January' or 'February'.

Syntax

The MONTHNAME() function takes one argument, which must be a date or datetime value. It returns the full name of the month as a string.

• date: A date or datetime expression from which to extract the month name.

sql

MONTHNAME(date)

Example

This example shows how to use MONTHNAME() to get the month name from a date column or a date literal.

sql

SELECT
  '2024-06-15' AS sample_date,
  MONTHNAME('2024-06-15') AS month_name;

-- Using a table example
CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE events (event_date DATE);
INSERT INTO events VALUES ('2024-01-10'), ('2024-12-25');
SELECT event_date, MONTHNAME(event_date) AS month_name FROM events;

Output

sample_date | month_name
------------|-----------
2024-06-15  | June

event_date  | month_name
------------|-----------
2024-01-10  | January
2024-12-25  | December

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using MONTHNAME() include:

• Passing a string that is not a valid date format, which returns NULL.
• Using numeric month values directly instead of a date or datetime type.
• Expecting abbreviated month names; MONTHNAME() always returns the full month name.

sql

/* Wrong: Passing a number instead of a date */
SELECT MONTHNAME(6); -- Returns NULL

/* Right: Pass a valid date */
SELECT MONTHNAME('2024-06-01'); -- Returns 'June'

Output

NULL
June

Quick Reference

Function	Description	Example	Output
MONTHNAME(date)	Returns full month name from date	MONTHNAME('2024-03-15')	March
MONTH(date)	Returns month number (1-12)	MONTH('2024-03-15')	3
DATE_FORMAT(date, '%b')	Returns abbreviated month name	DATE_FORMAT('2024-03-15', '%b')	Mar

Key Takeaways

Use MONTHNAME(date) to get the full month name from a date or datetime value.

Ensure the argument is a valid date or datetime; otherwise, MONTHNAME returns NULL.

MONTHNAME always returns the full month name, not abbreviated.

For abbreviated month names, use DATE_FORMAT with '%b'.

MONTHNAME is useful for readable date reports and grouping by month names.